THE BROKEN TRUST BEHIND A MILLETS REVOLUTION : DR. M.SURESH BABU, PRESIDENT, PRAJA SCIENCE VEDIKA

A Legacy of Empowerment Now Mired in Distrust. For over four decades, the Deccan Development Society (DDS) stood as a beacon of grassroots transformation in Telangana’s Zaheerabad.

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What began as a movement to empower Dalit women—reviving millet farming, reclaiming barren lands, and fostering financial independence—has now spiraled into a crisis of trust. The very women who built DDS are now demanding answers: Where are our savings? Who sold our lands? Why have we been left in the dark?

From Global Acclaim to Growing Skepticism

Under the leadership of the late P.V. Satheesh, DDS gained international recognition for its innovative model of sustainable agriculture, seed sovereignty, and women-led sanghams (self-help groups). Funded by global donors like Germany's Brot für die Welt and Canada’s Inter Pares, DDS became synonymous with Dalit empowerment and food justice.